White book on religions, religious policies in Vietnam debuts
The Government Committee for Religious Affairs released the white book on religions and religious policies in Vietnam at a conference held by the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications in Hanoi on March 9.
The Government Committee for Religious Affairs released the white book on religions and religious policies in Vietnam (Photo:baoquocte.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Government Committee for Religious Affairs released the white book on religions and religious policies in Vietnam at a conference held by the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications in Hanoi on March 9.
A 132-page book consists of three chapters that provides introduction to basic information about religions in Vietnam, its religious policies as well as achievements, challenges and advantages in ensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion.
The book introduces 16 popular religions in Vietnam, including Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Caodaism, and Hoa Hao Buddhism, among others. It also presents the Communist Party of Vietnam's view on beliefs and religions during the renewal period, the right to freedom of belief and religion stipulated in the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, regulations on religious activities in current legal documents.
Published by the Religious Publishing House, the book includes an appendix with some images of religions and religious activities in Vietnam, statistics on religions, a list of religious organisations and registered religious activities, and Article 24 of the 2013 Constitution.
Deputy head of the committee Nguyen Tien Trong said Vietnam has a long-standing cultural tradition and is home to 54 ethnic groups with diverse religions. At present, the country is home to over 26.5 million religious followers, or 27% of the population; over 54,000 religious dignitaries and 29,658 places of worship.
The first Constitution in 1946 and its revised editions always affirm that the right to freedom of belief and religion is one of the fundamental rights of human beings. The 2013 Constitution specifies that the right to freedom of belief and religion is a right of all people, he said.
In order to realise the 2013 Constitution, the Vietnamese National Assembly passed the Law on Belief and Religion on November 18, 2016. The Vietnamese Government issued Decree No. 162/2017/ND-CP on December 30, 2017, detailing some articles and measures to enforce the Law on Belief and Religion.
Vietnam has so far recognised 36 religious organisations, issued registration certificates to four religious organisations and one religious sect of 16 religions./.
Religions have never had such favourable conditions for their activities in Vietnam like now, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang stressed in a recent writing.
Vietnam is home to different forms of religions and beliefs that are co-existing, and this serves the need for religious and spiritual life of a large number of people.
Vietnam pursues a consistent policy of respecting and ensuring people's freedom to belief and religion as well as the equality among religions, while promoting cultural and moral values and resources of religions for the country’s development, stated Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai.
The Vietnamese Party, State and Government always pay attention to legitimate aspirations of religious organisations, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang told Franklin Graham, President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).
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The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
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A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
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The Government Committee for Religious Affairs released the white book on religions and religious policies in Vietnam (Photo:baoquocte.vn)
